Clothes clamp



Sept. 27, 1932. GTTSCHALL 1,879,192

- CLOTHES CLAMP Filed March 22, 1932 BY w zawfw WITNESS: ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 27, 1932 UNITED STATES JOSEPH E. GOTTSCHALL, MADISON, WISCONSIN CLOTHES CLAMP Application filed March 22, 1932.. Serial .No. 600,494. Q

My present invention has reference to a clothes clamp and has for its primary object the provision of a clamp provided with means for effectively fastening clothes to be dried on a line and means for removably locking the clamp on the clothes line to suspend the clothes below the line in order to prevent them from freezing onto the line in cold weather and to obviate the liability of the clothes being torn when removed from the line.

A further object is the provision of a clothes clamp of this typein which the clothes may be easily and quickly clamped on the body of the device and held on such body when the clamp is positioned on a clothes line, the spring clamping means of the improvement effecting in holding the device on the line and being also of a construction to permit of the device being readily removed from the line without necessitating the removal of the device from the suspended clothes.

To the attainment of the foregoing the invention consists in the improvement hereinafter described and definitely claimed.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation ment.

Figure 2 is a face view thereof.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1 but showing the spring element of the clamp swung to open position.

Figure 4 is a face view to illustrate the finger ends of the spring arms when in spread or open position.

The body 1 of the improvement is of wood and is thinner and preferably of a less length than an ordinary clothes pin. The body 1 is also of a rectangular formation and has one of its edges, adjacent to its respective ends, notched transversely, as at 2 and 3, respectively. Both of the notches are of substanti ally V -shaped formation, but the end or outer wall of the notch 2 is preferably straight.

A double headed pin 4 is passed transversely through the body 1 above the lower notch 3 and around this pin there are the coiled portions 5 of the non-rustable spring wire strand of the improvethat affords the clamping element of the improvement. From the coils 5 the spring wire is rounded outwardly and inwardly upon itself to afford a clamping jaw 6 and the arms 7 which extend from the coils 5 are slightly arched to add to the resiliency thereof. These arms 7 are rounded inwardly toward each other and terminate in straight extensions which I will term fingers. The fingers on the respective arms 7 are indicated by the numerals 8 and 9, respectively, and the finger 9 is bent upon itself at its juncture with its arm 7 to afford a slight loop 10. In practice the clothes are clamped in the notch 3 by swinging the arms 7 to cause the jaw 6 to enter the said notch and to contact 65 with the clothes. The arms 7 may have their finger ends spread to permit of the said arms being swung inwardly to the rear or to the front and notched face of the body 1. I When swung over the frontface the fingers 8 and 9 are given a small twist in orderto bring the finger 8 into the shallow looped, or depressed portion 10 0f the finger 9. The arched fingers are arranged outwardly with respect to the top of the body and the upper corners of the top of the body 1 are rounded; The fingers and arms afford a tapered passage with the outer face or notched edge of the body 1 so that the clothes line 11 will be caused to enter this tapered passage or mouth, the said line 11 forcing the arms 7 outwardly from the pocket to permit of the line being received in, the upper notch 2 and thereafter allowing the fingers to spring toward the front of the body and to effectively lock the line 11 in the notch 2. The clothes or garment 12 is supported a considerable distancebelow the line 11 and if desired the body 1 and line 11 may be gripped to causethe said line to exert a pressure upon the fingered end of the arms 7 to remove the device from the line without detaching the clothes from the body of the clamp. V Preferably, however, the fingers are given a slight turn which unlatches the said fingers and permitsof the arms being swung against the sides of the body 1 as disclosed by Figure 4 of the drawing so that the clamp while still gripping the clothes may be removed from theline and the clothes may be entirely released from the clamp by swinging the arms 7 of the jaw 6 to the position disclosed by Figure 3 of the drawing.

The clothes may be easily attached to the device and the device with the clothes thereon may be readily attached to the clothes line or removed therefrom as occasion requires. Only a slight pressure is required from the fingers of the operator to bring the fingered ends of the arms 7 to coengagement or out of such engagement, and it is thought that the foregoing description will fully set forth the simplicity of the construction and the ad vantages thereof to those skilled in the art to which such invention relates without fur. ther detailed description.

Having described the invention, I claim:

1. A clothes clamp as herein described, comprising a body having upper and lower notches, a jaw pivotally connected to the body and swingable into one of the notches, said jaw having arched spring arms extending from the pivoted portion thereof, whose upper portions are rounded inwardly and termimate in fingers designed forinterlatching engagement with each other when the arms are arranged over the second notch in the body.

2. A clothes clamp as herein described,

- comprising a body having upper and lower notches, a j aw pivotally connected to the body and swingable into one of the notches, said jaw having arched spring arms extending from the pivoted portion thereof, whose upper portions are rounded inwardly and terminate in fingers designed for interlatching engagement with each other when the arms are arranged over the second notch in the body and the fingered ends of the jaw and the notched edge of the body affording a tapered passage therebetween for the passage of the clothes line which, after entering the second notch of the body is held in said notch by the pressure of the arms thereagainst.

3. A clothes clamp including a substantially wooden body having one of its edges provided with upper and lower notches, a double headed pin passing transversely through the clamp above the lower notch, a strand of non-rustable spring wire having coiled POT-v tions which are journaled on the pin, an arched jaw extending from the coils and designed to enter the lower notch of the body, arms extending from the coils toward the upper notch, the armsof the spring wire being arched but rounded inwardly adjacent to their outer ends, the said outer ends being straight to afford fingers, one of said fingers being bent to provide aslight depression therein to receive the second and straight finger when the fingers are given a slight twist and arranged over and above the upper notch in the body.

In testimony whereof I afix my signature.

JOSEPH EL GOTTSOHALL. 

